January 21, 2010

The Far West China blog is wondering why Western media are reporting that the Internet in Xinjiang has been “restored.” Go to his site to see vivid examples of how the blatant censorship continues. (And I’d love to see how my trolls explain the discrepancies as a “server issue” or a “bad IP address.” It’s right here for everyone to see, pure, unashamed censorship.)

The Discussion: 7 Comments

1 By Imitation Crab Meat

This is a result of location based customization and personalization. Most commercial portal sites have this feature, for example, my Google web page will look different from your Google web page, based on geographical differences and personal customization. As a result, it offers a richer experience for the user.

Is there a way of getting to the page you want, not the page deemed by some to be the one you want? The richness of the experience is somewhat tempered if the choice is not there…
I can use Google.co.nz in English or Maori (I tell a lie, I can’t use the Maori one….can’t speak Maori) or use Goggle.com. A preliminary choice is made for me but I can redo my settings for the Google I want, not teh Google chosen for me.

For readers who may not know, Crab is our resident comedian. He posts the same comment everywhere whenever there is a discussion of censorship. Censorship is good for you. It offers a richer user experience. Like, no search capability on Sina.com in Xinjiang. People in Xinjiang are so lucky.

I do feel sorry for Josh of FarWestChina. Hopefully he will be able to bear the ongoing isolation. As for internet being restored in Xinjiang, I am always amazed at the excellent results from the Chinese propaganda machine. Give credit where it is due. Or is it the ongoing idiocy of the Western press, I don’t know. As with all things in China, when we hear verifiable proof, we can then believe it. Jia you.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is suspected of delaying the release of donation funds she had garnered for victims of the 2008 Szechuan earthquake during her fundraising activities at the Cannes Film Festival that same year.

Zhang’s fiance, multi-millionaire Vivi Nevo, had reportedly set up the Zhang Ziyi Foundation on her behalf in the United States to conduct fundraising activities for the earthquake victims.

Citing information from Nevo’s close friend in Hong Kong, Chinese media reports alleged that the Foundation’s donation funds, earmarked for the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, were channelled into Zhang’s personal overseas account and remained there for almost 18 months after her fundraising efforts at the film festival.

The actress had actively sought donations during the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to aid victims of the deadly 8.0 earthquake in Szechuan, China.

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A peculiar hybrid of personal journal, dilettantish punditry, pseudo-philosophy and much more, from an Accidental Expat who has made his way from Hong Kong to Beijing to Taipei and finally back to Beijing for reasons that are still not entirely clear to him…